Dr. Seuss Inspired Bedside Table

I’ve always enjoyed the whimsy of bandsaw boxes, but have never made one before this project. Must admit that making one 8-1/2 inches deep on my first go around was not the smartest idea. I had to cut out in a few unexpected places because my bandsaw could not make the tight radius. This made the glue up a little tedious. The woods are walnut, maple, cedar and plywood. There is a glass top, but it was removed for the photos. The table was sanded to 400 grit and finished with “Tried-n-True” linseed oil and bee’s wax. It was the first time I have used the “Tried-n-True” product and I was impressed. FYI – not sure I’m getting the name correct – the can is at my shop.

The inspiration for the table is Dr. Seuss. I tried to make the leg and base appear fragile such that they were not strong enough to hold the table. Just like many Dr. Seuss creations. The base is actually larger then the top and the leg cut in such a way that the top is centered directly over the based. Although I generally build items for others, this table is all mine.

I have made many band saw boxes, but nothing as nice looking as your table. I would guess the sanding (which I do not mind doing at all) must have taken a bit on the inside of the box for the drawer. I also agree with not lining the drawer with that pretty look of mixed wood. You did a wonderful job…thanks for sharing with us.

The majority of the sanding inside the box was accomplished prior to gluing the box back together. I masked off the front and back of the drawers to reminder me not to sand the glue surfaces. Finish sanding on the sides was accomplished with my small triangle headed sander, but the sander would not reach the bottom surface. The bottom finish sanding was all by hand and took a while. I think sanding on this project took almost as long as the build, with the most difficult area being the curve sides near bottom flat. It was hard to get in there without rounding the edge. I ended up using the convex scrap (I save all my scrap) as a sanding block.

Earlextech – nice, I can just imagine how happy your daughter was to receive that.

308gap – the local wood supplier has hardwood dowel up to 1/2 inch. I used my router and a round tip bit set at radius depth. The hard part was figuring out where to cut so the glass top would be level. To do this I took a shim the same thickness as dowel radius and moved it on the surface until level bubble was centered. I did check the surface the box was on for level first…. And yeah, it worked.

What a GREAT design! I only wish I had thought of this. I think you will start a whole new trend with this one. I’ve got to do one of these for my granddaughters. How is the box attached to the upright part of the base?